Okay, well, if I didn't get my ass handed to me for my last post, this one is really going to do it. If you didn't guess by now, I'm kind of liberal. I actually consider myself a moderate liberal, and I probably have some sort of conservative ideas about certain things. One of those certain things happens to be...guns.
In History of White People, Painter talks about the practice of Ancient Germans carrying weapons everywhere as a symbol of their coming of age and their citizenship. I like this idea. I think they should teach this in school. Oh yes, what could be worse than giving a 16 year old a deadly weapon? Well, it's no worse than giving them a one ton blunt object on wheels. I do not think we should hand out weapons to everyone when they turn 18. I do think we should teach them how to use them, proper care and handling of basic firearms. If it is our right to bare arms as citizens, then as citizens doesn't it make sense to make it a mandatory part of citizenship?
Here's my reasoning: enough people own guns and it is so easy to fatally wound yourself by accident that for our safety and the safety of others we need this kind of instruction. You may not be comfortable carrying a gun, or being around them. I know I'm not, but I believe most of that has to do with the fact that I am so incredibly terrified of guns because I don't know how exactly how they function, etc. In fact, I flunked my first driver's test because the cop's hand gun was the only thing I could think of.
We are, of course, taught to fear what we don't understand, especially if we know it's dangerous. With training we would be more confident and less fearful around guns. In a time when certain people can smuggle explosives in their underwear, but can't get a quart of breast milk for their babies onto planes, it might be nice to have a population that knows how to handle weaponry. If there's an air marshal on the plane who gets taken out, maybe a terrorist or potential terrorist will think twice if they know the entire plane load of passengers is likely to pick up that gun and eliminate the threat. Yeah, it's a little extreme, but I am firmly on the side of an educated and well skilled populace over one where ignorance might get them killed.
Plus, we would be pretty much set for the zombapocalypse.
Here, here! (hear, hear?)
ReplyDeleteI agree. As a nation, I think we need to break out of our denial about how easily guns can be obtained and injuries/deaths caused by those unprepared to wield them, and start taking responsibility for educating and protecting our citizens. It's similar to the whole sex education debate, in that I'd much rather see kids being taught about sex and how to protect themselves against diseases than completely deny that they have hormones and will go out and have sex without knowing what's up.
-Dayna